Oxidation of a variety of primary and secondary alcohols at oxidized nickel anodes is well known. The variety includes aralkanols and aralkenols; alkanols, alkenols and alkynols; furfuryl alcohol and diacetone-L-sorbose; cycloalkanols; cycloalkenols and bicycloalkanols; hydroxy steroids and polyalkyleneglycols. Depending on whether the alcohol is a primary or secondary alcohol and on the nature of the rest of the substrate molecule, the reaction products generally are aldehydes and/or acids or are ketones. The aralkanols which have been oxidized include species having alkyl, methoxy, nitro or chloro substitutents on the aromatic ring.
So far as is known to the present Applicants, the anodic oxidation of hydrophobic compounds comprising methylol groups attached directly to polycycloaliphatic or heteroaromatic nuclei or, through alkoxy links, to aromatic or heteroaromatic rings has not been contemplated in the prior art.